Of One Extraordinary Year
by Anna Louisa
Summary: The Seven returned from Greece with a mentally unstable Percy and Annabeth. To make up for lost manpower, Reyna accompanies them on their return to the Ancient Lands. Tension mars the quest, and one line stands incomplete: An oath to keep with a final breath. Who will live? Who will die? Who will return to the praetorship of Rome? And at the end, who will have their happy ending?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Of Flukes & Failures**

 _Clang! Swish! Slice!_

Reyna's spear swung through the air, colliding with first one blade, then another as she knocked the strange bronze weapons away from her face.

It was the second day of the battle at Camp Half-Blood, and neither side had gained any ground. However, Octavian had taken an arrow to the bicep yesterday and declared himself out for the rest of the fighting, which put Reyna at an advantage: she wasn't trying to counter some crazy augur's decisions with orders of her own, and as a result was a much better fighter (and leader) than yesterday. Really, Reyna owed some Greek archer a favor. Maybe she'd grant that camper immunity if – no, _when_ – Camp Jupiter won this war.

But none of that mattered now. She was under attack by at least five different campers, all of them bearing the emblem of Mars. She had made herself an early target with her skill in battle, and the centaur in charge had no doubt assigned the five campers in front of her to take her down. Unfortunately for them, Reyna had no intention of making it easy.

She was distracted for a moment as two of them swung at her at once, a spear and a dagger bearing down on her from two different directions. If she twisted in just the right way...

 _CLANG!_ The dagger hit her armor, leaving what felt like a very painful bruise, but she was able to block the spear. It was just as the spear went flying in the opposite direction that Reyna realized she'd fallen right into a trap.

In the next second, she was stuck with an electric spear, disarmed, and shot with an arrow to her calf - at the same time. A cry of pain tore itself from her throat before she could bite it back, and she dropped to her hands and knees, her calf unable to support her weight. She muttered a curse and reached for the dagger in her boot.

"Don't move, girly," a gruff voice muttered above her, but Reyna already had the small, lethal dagger concealed in her hand, and she froze. "Good."

Reyna was hauled roughly to her feet and pressed against a sweaty, muscular body in full Greek armor. Not a second later, there was a dagger at her throat. Ignoring the weapon, Reyna began mentally reviewing her camp training. There should be a soft spot for her to stab her back-up dagger in on the side of the armor...there.

Reyna thrust her tiny dagger into the side of the camper with all her might, then jerked away from the knife at her throat. The camper who'd been holding her fell to the ground, and Reyna's back-up dagger was ripped from her hand. She swore. That was her last dagger. Her cloak (with two other daggers in it) was too far away, but her hairpin would transform into a spear if she could get to it...

But she never had the chance. An arrow pierced her forearm as she raised it, and the explosion of pain made her stagger, just enough so that the burly daughter of Mars - no, Ares - could grab her.

"Nice try," the girl said, sounding mildly impressed. "But not good enough. I can tell you've got plenty on you – this hairpin, for one, and those daggers in your cloak. Hand 'em over. I don't want to have to search you."

This girl was good, Reyna had to admit grudgingly as she handed over her last weapons.

"Now, we're gonna take you to Chiron and we'll see what he wants to do with you," the girl informed her, yanking Reyna's arms around behind her back. This time, her years of training paid off and kept the cry of pain from escaping Reyna's mouth as her injured arm (with the arrow still in it) was handled so roughly. Reyna thought the burly girl looked impressed for the space of a second, but it was gone too fast for her to be sure.

"Come on, Clarisse," one of the boys with her said. "Let's go get this surrender over with."

Surrender! A hot wave of anger spiked in Reyna's heart, making her throat clench. There was no chance she would _ever_ surrender Rome to these people. Not without a fight. She lashed out at them, kicking and biting for all she was worth. Her captor, surprised, let her go, and she nearly toppled over. She leaped the rope holding her hands and managed to get her hands awkwardly in front of her. Clarisse, the burly girl, had just pulled out her electric spear when a voice cut through their fighting.

"Stop! Stop! Don't hurt her!"

It was Jason Grace, son of Jupiter. He and the rest of the members of the quest for the seven had arrived last night in the Greek camp. Not one of them, including Hazel and Frank, had come to see the Romans, and Reyna couldn't pretend that wasn't a blow. The seven of them had valuable information about the quest – information the Romans needed to know.

"Clarisse, don't hurt her," Jason panted. "Don't hurt her. Chiron will want to talk to her, and..." his voice faltered as he met Reyna's glare, but he stiffened, "and so do I."

"Chiron assigned us to her, dude," Clarisse said belligerently. "We're taking her to him so she can surrender."

"Never," Reyna spat, putting as much venom as she could into her voice. "I'll die first."

Jason looked worried. He would know she wasn't kidding. He turned and waved his arms wildly, then turned back to their little group. "Clarisse, she's not kidding –"

"And neither am I," snapped Clarisse. "She'll surrender or die, or maybe watch from the steps of the Big House as her army is destroyed!"

"You will never defeat the legion," Reyna snapped. "The might of Rome stands with us."

Clarisse just waved her hand, looking unimpressed. Suddenly, Piper McLean appeared next to Jason.

"Let's all calm down," she said, raising her hands, palms up. The tension in each of the boys' shoulders loosened and the sons of Ares even lowered their weapons. Clarisse and Reyna, however, both stood staring suspiciously at Piper. "That's better. Now, we don't want to hurt Reyna, so why don't you take her up to the Big House and let Chiron deal with it?"

Her words, powerful and sweet as honey, flowed over their little group. Jason and the sons of Ares all nodded eagerly, and even Clarisse relaxed a little.

"No," Reyna snapped. "You won't take me to him. I have a better idea." Although not a charmspeaker by any means, years of making speeches in front of the Senate had given Reyna a powerful voice. "I challenge you to a duel, Jason Grace," she declared, twisting her head awkwardly to look him in the eyes. "Just the two of us, one-on-one. If you win, I will surrender to your camp, and you will treat us fairly. If I win, your camp will surrender to ours and we will treat you fairly."

Jason stared at her, and she knew what he was thinking: he had beat her in a duel only once, and that had been nearly a year ago (and a fluke at that). The odds were entirely in her favor, and Reyna was confident that she could win. All he had to do was accept...he had to know how desperate she was to make that bid...

"I accept," he said, just as Piper opened her mouth. "It's okay, Pipes. Clarisse, get her healed and then let her halt the legion. I'll duel her."

"Jason," Piper began, but he shook his head.

"It's fine, Piper. Come on, we've got to tell Chiron and stop the army." He took her hand and they hurried off. Clarisse, meanwhile, turned to Reyna and eyed her suspiciously.

"You must have been desperate, girly. He's a great swordsman. Percy's better, but Percy was hard to beat. . ." her eyes darkened and she turned away.

Reyna wondered what had happened to Percy on the quest that would make Clarisse react in such a way. When she asked, the girl only stared at her, then shook her head.

"You'll see soon enough, whether you win or lose," she said. "It's...hard to talk about." No one would say any more on the subject, so Reyna accepted the nectar given to her with dignity and sat tall and straight, her face impassive, while they yanked out the arrows.

"Alright. Go stop your legion, then get back down here so we can resolve this," Clarisse said, cutting the bonds on her hands. "And I'm warning you...don't betray us."

"A Roman always keeps her word," Reyna said fiercely, her dark eyes boring into Clarisse's. She didn't wait for a response before sprinting off up the hill.

* * *

"You did _what?_ " Gwen gasped in horror. "Reyna, what were you _thinking_?"

"I was _thinking_ there wasn't a better way to get out of it, Gwen! I can beat him, the entire camp knows that, and then this can all be over."

The two girls were standing on the top of Half-Blood Hill, their backs to the valley that held Camp Half-Blood, instead facing the grassy slope that was the barracks of Camp Jupiter. The sun was shining brightly, making Reyna uncomfortably warm inside her armor, and the grass under her feet was brittle and brown from lack of watering. Naturally, everything was perfect inside the valley; another reason Reyna didn't trust it there. She knew from experience a pretty face too often masked an ugly secret.

"I still think it was a bad idea," Gwen was saying. "Jason's learned new techniques from the Greeks. You don't know what he's capable of now."

"You make it sound like I haven't grown at all over the past nine months," Reyna snapped. "In case you haven't noticed, I've grown rather adept at blocking Greek attacks."

"I wasn't trying to slight you, Reyna, only to warn you. Even you can't win everything," Gwen pointed out, her voice tainted with a weariness Reyna knew all too well.

"I don't have to win everything," Reyna murmured. "Just this one fight."

Gwen didn't say anything more, and instead, the two girls stood facing the Camp Jupiter side of Half-Blood Hill, each mentally preparing for the future.

* * *

"Good luck, Rey," Bobby said quietly, handing her her chosen dagger. She nodded once, and he moved aside, giving her a view of the impromptu fighting arena that had been set up in the Greek pavilion where the campers of Camp Half-Blood took their meals. One side of the pavilion, lined with orange shirts, was silent as they watched the preparations, but the sea of purple on the opposite side was abuzz with chatter, with campers no doubt placing bets and sharing theories on who might win and why. In the middle of it all, Reyna and Jason stood facing each other, ten yards apart, each contemplating strategy and weighing the others' weaknesses. Greg, a rather mellow son of Mars who was trusted by both Jason and Reyna, was standing in the middle of the pavilion, ready to referee. He raised his hands and the legion slowly fell silent.

"Competitors, shake hands," he announced into the silence. Reyna met Jason in the center of the pavilion. His hand was warm and sweaty in hers, his eyes flitting to hers and then away.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Arellano," he muttered as they brought their blades in front of their face in a traditional Roman salute.

"Have some faith, Grace," she retorted, then turned to stride back to her spot. When they reached their respective ends of the field, they stood facing each other, dueling arms (Jason's left, Reyna's right) extended, daggers pointing at each other's chests.

"On your mark...steady...begin!" Greg yelled, and hurried out of the way. The legionnaires of Camp Jupiter knew all too well that a duel between Jason and Reyna was volatile and often unpredictable, prone to starting long before the referee was out of the way.

But for a moment, both hesitated. For just the space of a moment, no one existed but Jason and Reyna, who knew each other's moves so well, who had been friends for years, and on the path to so much more before Juno/Hera interfered. For a moment, all that they'd shared stood thick and heavy in the air between them. And then the moment was shattered as Reyna realized that Jason, wearing an orange Camp Half-Blood shirt, was no longer on her side.

He ran forward to face her, and she leaped to her left, intending to make him barrel past, but had to defend almost immediately as he turned faster than she thought possible for him. His style, though still what would be considered Roman, showed a definite Greek influence – something Reyna hated.

She backed up, letting him follow her, limping on her injured leg. It didn't hurt any more, but she knew Jason's biggest weakness was her well-being - and hers was his. If he thought she was hurt, he might not –

Jason's dagger swung through the air and Reyna brought hers up, catching the weak part of his blade on the strong part of hers, knocking it out of his hand and scratching it in the process, drawing a shallow line of bright blood down his palm. He hissed, then rolled to the side, grabbed his dagger, and came up standing. It was a move Reyna was used to and knew how to execute well, and therefore didn't startle her.

They circled each other, watching the movements of each other's arms and limbs. Reyna knew surprise, brutal attacks were not her forte, but at the moment, she didn't see any other way to end this quickly. And it was something Jason would have never expected. She circled with him, making two more complete rotations, then lunged.

A burning pain erupted in her right arm, making her head spin. She gasped and backed away. Both her dagger and her arm were covered in blood. Reyna looked over at Jason to see that he, too, had a bloody dagger and arm, and something clicked. Her dagger had sliced open his left forearm, and his her right. They had both lunged at the same time, clearly intending to use the same tactic. Even when angry and in pain, Reyna had to bite back a smile. It was a trademark of how alike she and Jason thought that they'd managed to split each other's arms open.

There was a muttering from some of the Greek campers, but no one moved to stop them. Reyna reflected that it was lucky she could fight with both her right and left hands equally, or she would have been down for the count. She and Jason had both had to switch hands due to their injuries, and it was in her favor that Jason couldn't fight as well right-handed.

She lunged again, and he parried sloppily, going for the counterattack, but she danced out of his reach. Frustrated, he ran after her, managing to nick her collarbone as she turned. She gasped, cut a shallow scratch across his face, and skipped backward before he could return the favor. He attacked again, but she parried with ease. For a long time (or so it felt to Reyna, with the blood draining out of her arm), they attacked and parried, counterattacked and counterparried once more, neither able to gain an advantage.

Finally, Jason stumbled over a crack in the pavilion, and Reyna realized how tired and drained both of them were. Jason's face was white from the pain in his arm, and his attacks were sloppy. Reyna knew she wasn't in a much better state. She could feel the fuzzy edge to her consciousness that she got when she hadn't slept for several days. That wasn't good. She needed to end this before one or both of them passed out.

So she hung back, pretending the pain in her arm was too much for her to handle. Jason, of course, wasn't fooled, but Greg and Bobby took a half-step forward as one, natural concern for their friend and praetor taking over. Jason's eyes flickered to them for a second. A second long enough for Reyna to lunge forward, twist her hand down to Jason's to yank the dagger from his grip...

A gold dagger flew across the arena, landing with a clang on the ground in front of Chiron the centaur's hooves. The other dagger pressed against a throat, two faces inches from each other, their panting heavy, faces streaked with sweat and twisted with pain, but wearing identical expressions of shock mirrored on every Roman face in the pavilion. The unthinkable had happened.

Jason Grace had just bested Reyna Arellano at swordplay.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, everyone! I am pleased to announce that yes, I will be returning to FanFiction! I intend to finish not only this story, but also my Rose/Scorpius story, Never Thought I'd Fall for You; as well as The Unexpected Heir Part 2. Expect continuations to both by the end of the month.**

 **In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this. I've started calling it my Jeyna "magnum opus", because it's pretty important to me. I think it's one of the more serious, in character, plausible fics I've written. So I hope everyone reading enjoys it as well!**

 **Also, I forgot this last time so this goes for both Chpt. 1 and Chpt. 2: I do not own Percy Jackson or Heroes Of Olympus. I make no profits off of this work. All rights belong to Rick Riordan**

 **Additionally, thanks goes to my absolutely lovely beta andifidream, who very kindly agreed to help me with this mess of a story. Thanks so much, Dreams!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Of Surrenders and Surprises**

For a moment, dead silence reigned. Nothing whatsoever made any noise. All the birds in the trees had gone silent, and not a single person in the arena moved as Jason and Reyna stared at each other, both in total shock.

Reyna's mind was reeling, trying to figure out what had happened. She had lunged forward, twisting her dagger to meet Jason's. . . but Jason's wasn't there. A twist of fate had made him turn just before her dagger connected with his, and he had jerked his arm backward, catching the hilt of her dagger and yanking it backward through her thumb, the weak joint on her hand. In pure self-defense, he had put his dagger to her throat, trapping her and winning the match, all in the space of less than a second.

The silence ended as Jason finally regained his composure and smirked at Reyna. "I win," he announced simply, and with those two words, the entirety of Camp Half-Blood roared their approval, surging forward onto the pavilion. Jason dropped his dagger from Reyna's throat as Piper and Leo reached him. Piper threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, and Leo whacked him on the back. Reyna was knocked backward as the crowd surrounded Jason.

The scene, so familiar and yet so alien, reminded her of the Roman triumph at the Battle of Mount Othrys: the dense crowd screaming campers, the stench of body odor and blood, the air hanging heavily on her shoulders and lungs as she struggled to get away, her injured arm curled protectively into her stomach. She wasn't sure whether it was the deja vu that was making her head spin or if it was just the blood loss, but she was clear on one thing: _get out of the crowd before you pass out_.

She stumbled over a Greek camper's shoe, and he gave her a disgusted look, shoving her away from him and out of the crowd. Reyna was so off-balance, so dizzy that she couldn't even catch herself as the white marble of the pavilion whistled toward her.

Bobby caught her, somehow, and managed to pull her to her feet. "Reyna, Reyna can you hear me? Reyna?"

"Bobby," she gasped. "I'm fine, really, I just-"

"Don't lie, Reyna." Greg was there, too, tight-lipped and holding out a can of nectar for her. She took it and drank three long drags, feeling her skin heat up and her injuries knit together. It tasted of hot chocolate, her favorite not-exactly-Roman drink that she'd shared most recently with Annabeth Chase, but more often with Jason...

"Reyna? Can you hear me?"

Reyna's vision blurred, twisted in a weird way, then finally came back into focus. She held up a finger and took two deep breaths before looking up. Bobby and Greg had identical expressions of worry on their face, but Reyna felt fine. The edge of fuzziness had gone from her brain, and her arm didn't hurt any more. All her scratches had healed, and her energy had been replenished.

"I'm alright," she said quietly. "Help me up."

"Reyna, you can't really be planning to surrender," Bobby began, but Reyna cut him off with a glare. The two were good friends, and yet she was still the praetor, and he was not to question her decisions.

"A Roman always keeps her word," she replied stiffly for the second time that day. "Now help me up."

"Jason Grace doesn't," Bobby muttered. Greg and Reyna both ignored him, the former offering the latter his hand, which she accepted. She stood tall and straight, ignoring the lingering ache in the back of her head, and began to walk.

Straight through the crowd of Greeks that fell silent and shrunk from her as she passed. Straight across the white pavilion, shimmering in the sun, perfect except for a crack in the middle that came from gods-knew-where. Straight to a centaur standing tall and proud in the sweltering sun, a figure of legend. Straight to the doom of Rome.

The irony did not escape her that one of the very people who had sworn to protect and preserve Rome was the reason it was about to fall.

She reached Chiron and knelt at his feet, speaking words she had hoped she would never have to say.

"I, Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, daughter of the goddess Bellona and Praetor of Camp Jupiter, surrender myself and the forces of Rome to thee, centaur Chiron, director of Camp Half-Blood."

"I accept your surrender," the centaur replied, his voice kind. Reyna turned to face the Romans assembled at the edge of the pavilion. Struggling to keep herself in check, she ordered them to lay down their weapons. As they did so, knives emerging from everywhere in their armor, she watched her biggest fear come true. She had been unable to keep her family safe. She had bet everything they had on one match, and she had lost. Slowly, she removed the purple cloak that she wore, the symbol of a praetor, and laid it on top of her dagger. She was no longer worthy of her position as their leader.

When all the weapons had been laid on the ground, Chiron stepped forward. "Well, I believe our armory has just been sufficiently extended," he said, and there were laughs from some of the Grecian campers. "Let me see. . . the sons and daughters of Ares shall move the weapons to the armory. The children of Athena, Hephaestus, and Hermes will guide the Roman campers to the arena, where they will be held and treated fairly, as promised, until further notice. This should include those currently in their headquarters outside our borders. Please set up guards as well, and bring them food and water. The wounded may be brought to the Big House to be treated by the children of Apollo. Everyone else may begin to clean up the camp. I will speak with Praetor Arellano, along with those from the quest. Now off with you!"

The campers scuttled off to their jobs, and the Romans (on Reyna's command) followed a large group of kids down the hill. Chiron, Reyna, Jason (refreshed after a few sips of nectar), Leo, Piper, Frank, and Hazel followed them to a large, light blue farmhouse in the center of the valley. Already, several blond-haired, good-looking kids were scrambling around on the porch, grabbing bandages and bottles of medicine. They all nodded respectfully to Chiron and kept out of his way as he lead his group past several rooms full of moans and groans and that awful hospital smell.

They reached a wing that was absolutely quiet, except for one door, where small cries of pain and horrible, human whimpering as well as soft, soothing voices could be heard. Reyna was about to ask what in the name of Jupiter was going on behind that door when it opened.

"Chiron, Jason - shit," a red-haired girl said, her green eyes widening as a howl came from behind her. "I didn't know you were going to be here. . . shit. Percy, Annabeth, it's okay. . ."

She turned and hurried farther into the room. Before anyone could stop her, Reyna stepped forward and leaned her head around the door.

"Reyna, no!" Jason said, his voice too loud. But before he could grab her arm and pull her back, Reyna had seen what was inside that door.

Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase were lying on a huge, king-sized bed. They were disgusting and filthy, covered in dirt, their hair greasy and lank. They were both injured, and grievously so, some cuts open to the bone. They were skinnier than Reyna had ever seen a human being, their elbows prominent and cheeks sunken in, hipbones too prominent. But that wasn't what horrified Reyna the most.

It was their eyes. Their eyes, once so beautiful and bright and full of color and life and fire, had turned dull and glassy, as though they were looking inside themselves and seeing things more horrible than Reyna could fathom.

It had been Percy who had howled, and he was writhing, his emaciated arms and legs flying everywhere. One of them struck the cut on Annabeth's wrist, causing her to release a cry of pain. Percy stopped writhing for a moment at her voice, reaching for her.

"Annabeth..." he croaked, and his voice was raspy and weak, cracked, and _haunted_ as though he'd been to hell and back. His fingers had just brushed Annabeth's arm when Jason yanked Reyna out of the room and slammed the door shut.

Another howl was heard from the inside, and Reyna's knees went weak at the sound. Never in her life had she heard such pain in anyone's voice, and she'd been through some pretty horrible things. She could feel her chest rising and falling rapidly, and fought to keep her composure.

"Come along, all of you," Chiron said, his voice low and urgent. "We won't do any good hanging around here. Come along, now."

Reyna moved first, following him down the empty hallway, which suddenly seemed much too crowded and much too long. After what felt an eternity, they reached the end of the hallway, turned, and entered a simple room, spacious and with two or three pristine white couches. Reyna sank onto one of them, staring at the opposite wall but not seeing anything as she processed what she had seen. She concentrated on breathing in and out.

In and out.

In and out.

For several minutes, no one spoke. She could hear the muffled sniffles of the others, and the sound of water being poured into paper cups. Finally, she gathered the strength to look around at the others.

Frank and Hazel were sitting next to each other on the couch opposite Reyna, their hands tightly clasped. Hazel was leaning against Frank, her eyes closed, tears leaking out from under them. Frank had his head in the hand that was not clasping Hazel's, hunched over his knees.

Leo and Piper were sitting next to them, not touching. Leo's fists were clenched and his face white, staring at his hands, his features marred by pain. For once, he was completely still. Piper was sitting stock still, fingers interlocked, eyes bright with unshed tears and locked on Jason.

Jason was standing in a corner of the room next to the water fountain. His fists were clenched and his face set in a hard mask of pain, every muscle in his body taut, tendons standing out.

"What happened to them?" Reyna's voice was too loud, too sharp in the quiet room. "What in the world happened to them to make them this way?"

Chiron seemed about to deny her, but Jason spoke up.

"They fell into Tartarus," he said, and she could hear the undercurrent of pain in his voice. "When Annabeth went on her solo quest to get that damned Athena Parthenos, Arachne's cave was over a pit to Tartarus. We knocked Arachne in, but Annabeth got caught in the silk, and Percy wasn't about to let her go alone."

Jason's story was raising more questions than it answered, but Reyna listened intently, her face a well-practiced mask that gave no hint to the confliction within.

"They were in there for two weeks," Jason continued. "We flew to Greece and fought our way through the House of Hades and got them out. They stumbled out those doors looking just like they do now. We did everything we could for them, but it wasn't enough. They're. . . they're insane," he said, his voice breaking and dropping to a whisper. He turned away from the room.

Reyna had thought, when she surrendered Rome to Chiron not even ten minutes ago, that she could never feel worse. Jason's story proved her wrong. She wanted to flee the room and run far, far away, to find a place to feel safe again, but instead she inhaled deeply through her nose and buried her emotions in the back of her head, to deal with later. She willed apathy to flow through her body.

"What about the Doors?" she asked, her voice flat.

"They're still open," Piper said shortly. "Once we got Percy and Annabeth out we flew straight to Camp Half-Blood to get them the treatment they need. The giants are marching on Mount Olympus as we speak. We're planning to leave again tomorrow to try and stop them."

"You'll be too late," Reyna said. "There's no way you can get to Greece in time if they're already marching on Mount Olympus."

"We detained them at the House of Hades," Hazel said. "I erected a wall of stone to hold them back. It's several meters thick, and it blocks the only way out. We're hoping it will take them awhile to break it, and if it takes them as long as we hope, well - we think we might be able to get there, but just barely in time, if at all."

The last three words hung in the air like a heavy curtain. There was no guarantee that Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, and Leo would be able to get to Greece on time, to stop the giants. But for that matter, it wouldn't mean a thing if the gods were still schizophrenic.

"And the gods?" Reyna asked.

"That's the wild card," Chiron said. "Annabeth has recovered the Athena Parthenos from Rome, and according to legend, it is supposed to be able to heal the rift between Greeks and Romans. It was unloaded last night and set up in the amphitheatre. The children of Athena seemed to recognize it's value, but it was only after Jason told them the story that they understood."

Reyna's eyes snapped to Jason's. Both she and Jason knew the legend well – the reason Greeks and Romans had never gotten along. "She found it," Reyna breathed. "How in the name of Olympus did she survive?"

No one answered her, but it wasn't hard to imagine their thoughts: yes, Percy and Annabeth were alive, but given their condition, was that truly the better option?

 **Apologies for any Percabeth feels. I swear, it's for a reason!**

 **Reviews are always appreciated :)**

 **~AL**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! I've gotten a few more follows on this story since chapter two, so I hope everyone's enjoying it – please don't be shy! Let me know what you like, what you don't like, anything really – I'd love to hear from you all!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson & the Olympians nor Heroes of Olympus. All rights belong to Rick Riordan, and I make no profit off this work. This is all purely for my own enjoyment.**

 **Chapter Three: Of Negotiations and Things Not Allowed**

The group of seven remained in that small little room for quite some time. There were many tears shed as the entire quest was recounted for Reyna's benefit. There were arguments, and many of them at that, but in the end, there was truly only one thing left to do.

"We have to go back to Greece," Jason said, leaning over a faded map of Europe that was held down at each corner by a dagger. "That's not an option. We have to try to stop the giants and close the Doors."

"Agreed, but which should come first?" asked Reyna, across the table from him. "We've got to stop the giants before they get to Mount Olympus, but if we don't close the Doors, the army won't die."

"We?" Jason asked, looking up. "You aren't part of this, Reyna."

"I have already offered to go along on the quest with you," she replied icily, "in the hopes of making up for lost manpower. Chiron and all of the others have agreed. You may as well accept that I am going."

Jason clenched his teeth in frustration but seemed to relent, looking back down at the map. "I think we should split up," he said. "Some of us go to close the Doors and some of us go to stop the giants."

"No way," Piper retorted. "How would we know when the Doors were closed?"

"The army would start dying - and staying dead," Hazel replied. "I think the bigger problem is how we would get the two teams to their places."

"If there's six of us, that should mean three and three, but I'd have to fly the Argo II back and forth," said Leo.

"I still don't like this idea," Piper muttered.

"Do you have a better one?" Reyna asked. Everyone looked up at Piper, who was standing apart from the rest of them, her arms crossed.

"No, but I don't like the idea of sending half of us back to that hellhole!"

"I don't either," Jason said tiredly. "But we also don't have a choice. It's the only way we can get anything done. And you don't have to go back if you don't want to."

There was a silence as the five who had been on the quest silently contemplated each other, each of them with a slightly horrified look in their eye. Reyna looked at them all, then made a quick decision.

"Then I'll go."

"No way," retorted Jason. "Not you. You don't have any experience with the House of Hades."

Reyna ignored him. "I'll only need one more person to go with me. I hate to ask it of all of you, but is there anyone willing?"

"I could," said Leo slowly. "If I dropped the rest of you off at Mount Olympus first..."

"No, if you did that then you'd have to risk flying back out of the war zone at Olympus. You need to stop at the House of Hades first," Reyna said. "It can't be you."

"I could go," Hazel offered.

"No way," Frank said.

"Nuh-uh, Death Girl," Leo agreed. "You'd sacrifice yourself."

"Neither Hazel nor Reyna are going," Jason said, loudly and angrily. Again, Reyna ignored him.

"If not Hazel, who else is coming with me?"

"You're not going," Jason snapped.

"I'll go," offered Piper.

"No! You are not going and neither is Reyna!" Jason snapped. "I'm not having either of you near that place!"

"It is not your decision to make," Reyna informed him coolly, then turned her attention back to Piper. "Are you sure you could handle it?"

Piper hesitated. "I think so," she finally said, though her voice was unsteady. "I mean, we're just closing two doors, how hard can it be?"

"They have to be closed from the inside, too!" yelled Jason. "Who's going to do that?!"

Silence fell upon the table. Reyna's eyes widened a little as she realized what he was saying, why he didn't want anyone to go. She didn't know much about Leo or Piper, but she, Jason, Hazel, and Frank would all willingly sacrifice themselves to close those Doors.

She closed her eyes and braced herself. "I will."

"No," snarled Jason. "Not an option." When she opened her eyes to meet his, she saw he was giving her the trademark Wolf Stare he had learned from Lupa. His was one of the fiercest in the camp, and he used it often to get Octavian to shut up during Senate meetings. Unfortunately for him, hers had always been better.

"Why?" she hissed, returning his glare. "Why do _you_ of all people want me alive?"

His stare evaporated on the spot as a tenderness crept into his eyes. Reyna found herself wondering unbidden how much Jason remembered of their past. She forced herself to look away, remembering the other demigods in the room.

"It doesn't matter," said a hoarse voice behind them. They spun to see Nico di Angelo leaning heavily against the door frame. His skin was so pale it was almost green, his black hair greasy and wild. His clothes were filthy and he was bleeding from at least a dozen cuts.

"Nico!" Hazel gasped, running to him. She reached out to him as she drew near, but her hands passed right through him. "What . . . what's going on?"

"I'm not really here," he croaked out. "I'm still in Tartarus."

Reyna's eyes widened. "How in the name of Jupiter did you get there?"

"Gaea kidnapped me," Nico replied grimly, his entire form flickering at the sound of the earth goddess' name. "She threw me into this pit. I've been hiding out for weeks in one of the safer spots, trying to find the strength to show myself to you, to tell you a message."

It was Jason who finally stepped forward. "What message?"

"You can't pass through the doors," answered Nico, his eyes locked on Reyna. "None of you can. Only a child of Hades or Pluto can pass through the mortal side."

The strategic wheels in Reyna's head creaked to life. "And if you're already inside . . . you can close them for us."

"No!" Hazel protested, but Nico nodded.

"I can. That's what I wanted to tell you. I can be at the Doors in two days and I need you to meet me there. Gaea has an army and it won't be pretty on either side. The closing of the Doors will need to be coordinated."

"Of course," Reyna agreed. "Where are the Doors?"

"Epirus, Greece," replied Jason. "Gaea has them chained down to allow her army out. We have to close them and then break the chains."

"You're missing something," Hazel hissed. "My brother is trapped inside Tartarus! We have to get him out!"

"You can't," said Nico. "Not without trapping yourself. Hazel, you're the only one who could even make it through the Doors, and if we leave them open on the inside they won't close at all."

Hazel was already shaking her head, cinnamon curls flying. "No. I'm not leaving you there to die. There has to be another way."

Nico smiled weakly. "There's not. I'm sorry, Hazel. I wish we could have had more time together."

"We will," Hazel said fiercely. "This won't be the end for you, Nico."

Nico didn't reply, but glanced over his shoulder. "I have to go. How many days will it take you to get to Greece?"

"At top sailing speeds? Three, maybe four," answered Leo.

"Good. I'll head for the Doors now. If I can, I'll contact you again tomorrow night to see where you're at."

"Nico," Hazel began, but her brother was already fading from view.

"Get to Epirus. And hurry!" he called, and then he was gone.

Reyna turned back to the map, tracing their route with her finger. "We'll need to leave no later than tomorrow morning," she decided, ignoring the heavy silence all around her.

"We are not leaving my brother in there," Hazel declared. When Reyna turned to meet her eyes, they burned with fierce determination. "I don't care what he said. I don't care how impossible it is. I won't leave him in there."

Reyna glanced at Jason, and saw he was thinking the same thing as she. She tilted her head in Hazel's direction. He was better off breaking it to Hazel; he had known her longer.

"Hazel . . ." sighed Jason. "There have to be sacrifices in every war. Nico has chosen to give his life for this cause, and we have to honor his last wishes."

Hazel stared at him, her mouth open. "I don't believe you," she finally spat, her eyes dark with hate. "If it was your sister trapped in Tartarus, you would be doing everything you could to free her. You just don't want to save him because he's a son of Hades!"

Jason had clearly had enough. "Hazel, we don't have a choice. I'm sorry, and I know you're upset because yes, I would be too, but it's either the world or your brother and I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to choose the world. If you don't want to be involved with that mission then you don't have to be. We can send others to the Doors."

"Jason!" Piper said, her tone shocked. "What are you saying? This isn't you! Of course we can find a way to save Nico and close the Doors!"

Jason shook his head. "Even if we could, and I doubt we can, we don't have time for side quests. Gaea's giants are marching on Mount Olympus as we speak, and they will destroy the known world if we don't stop them. So the choice I see is that we either save one demigod and lose the world, or save the world and lose one demigod. I'm sorry Hazel, but Nico's life is a price I am willing to pay."

Hazel's eyes flashed, and the room around them trembled. Little gems began popping out of the earth around the room, and the metal daggers on the map in front of Reyna strained at the dark table wood.

"And here I thought you were a hero, Jason Grace," Hazel snarled at him. "You would have never left a friend behind before."

"Yes, he would have," objected Reyna, coming to stand at Jason's side. "Sometimes a hero must make the hard decision to leave someone behind for the sake of all. Roman demigods are protectors of the peace between gods and mankind. Gaea is threatening that peace, and it is our duty to put that threat before our personal problems. I know you are upset, and I ask that you leave now to calm yourself down before you make a mistake you will regret."

Hazel seemed to recognize the fruitlessness of arguing with two former praetors of Rome, and instead nodded and stormed out of the room, making sure to slam the door behind her, leaving a tenseness in the air.

Frank was the one to break it. "Jason, Reyna . . . I know you're right, but . . . you could have broken it to her a little more gently. I'll . . . I'll go try to talk some sense into her." He left the room quickly.

"How could you?" gasped Piper. Reyna turned and met her accusing stare, but the daughter of Aphrodite wasn't done. "How could you sacrifice her brother like that, like he means nothing to you?"

"He doesn't mean anything to me," Reyna returned. "Nico is not my blood, and he's certainly not one of my campers or legionnaires. His information has been sketchy and mysterious at best in my past encounters with him. I let him into our camp due to his connection to Hazel, but he is not someone I trust. His sacrifice is a necessary one."

"You're heartless," Piper spat.

Reyna withheld her chuckle, but wasn't able to stop a small smile from creeping across her face. "No, daughter of Aphrodite, I am not heartless. I am a strategist. And I am Roman."

Piper opened her mouth to reply, but Chiron cut across them.

"I agree with Miss Arellano," he said firmly. "I regret Nico's sacrifice as well, but it is clear we can do nothing for him. Now, I will assign you all rooms in the Big House tonight, and I recommend you get some rest. No arguing. In the meantime, Miss Arellano and I need to discuss the terms of her surrender."

Right. The surrender. Guilt and shame burned hot within Reyna at the memory. She had lost a simple duel to Jason Grace, and in doing so, lost the might of Rome. She had no right to lead the legion any more.

The others filed out, leaving Chiron alone with Reyna. He looked closely at her, then said, quite simply, "Sit."

Reyna did so, sitting down hard on one of the white couches. The centaur stood over her, then sighed.

"I had hoped Lupa would be with you," he said quietly. "I would have much rather negotiated with one a little older than yourself."

Reyna did not answer, so he went on. "I am bound to the terms by which Jason Grace agreed to duel you: that I must treat your people fairly. I intend to do this to the best of my ability, but you must accept that you and your army are not welcome here, Miss Arellano, and that we have always had certain campers we are not proud of that will . . . make things difficult for you."

Reyna nodded. "I have several of those myself, sir."

"Chiron, please," he requested. "And may I call you Reyna?"

Reyna nodded again, and the centaur continued. "Tell me, Reyna; what is it like in your camp? I have known of your existence for quite some time, but I cannot even imagine what it must be like there. Jason has spoken of a city, and a separate legion, service years, and the two praetors, who must run the entire camp. I am highly intrigued. Please, would you tell me more?"

Reyna felt herself stiffen. "Until such time as I am granted permission by Lupa, I cannot reveal anything to you about Camp Jupiter, its location, or its inner workings to you."

"Ah." Chiron sat back in regret. "That's too bad. Well . . . I guess that leaves us at our decision of what to do." He watched Reyna for awhile, but she did not respond nor meet his eyes, still struggling to hold herself together.

"Well, then I will tell you our terms," he said with a heavy sigh. "We shall expect you and your army to evacuate the camp as soon as you are able. You will inform us of the location of your camp, as you know ours. You will repay us the money we will need to fix the damage caused by your army. And, more importantly, we will draw up a peace treaty that you will sign. No doubt it will include mutual assistance in a time of crisis and a promise from both sides not to attack each other."

Reyna pressed her lips together. "Who will draw up this peace treaty?"

"When you return from the quest, you and I will work together on it."

"May I ask for one thing?"

"Depending," the centaur replied, his eyes kindly but guarded.

"I ask for Jason Grace to return as praetor, given that Percy Jackson is . . . unable to complete his term, and that Centurion Frank Zhang returns as well."

"Are you sure that is wise?" Chiron asked, peering down at her. "Will they not be discriminated against for siding with the Greeks?"

"That is not for you to worry about," Reyna said, ignoring the voice in the back of her mind that told her it probably was a bad idea. "Those are my . . . requests."

Hot shame burned through her as she realized that, due to her surrender, Chiron had the option to not grant these terms. She was so used to dealing with others' surrenders to her that the idea of not getting what she needed out of the agreement terrified her. Where was she supposed to find the money to repay Camp Half-Blood?

"I will leave it up to them," Chiron replied. "I will not force any campers to do what they do not want to."

Reyna just nodded, knowing that was the best she was going to get. Chiron looked at her for a long time, but she didn't meet his eyes, knowing that if she met that kind, gentle, grandfather-ly gaze, she would break down. And that was not something she could afford.

After a long time, Chiron sighed. "I'll show you to your room."

The room was very nice, for the imprisoned leader of an opposing army. The furniture was all dark wood, even if it was dusty. The bed sheets were soft and gray, the coverlet thin and dark green. The walls were bare, but soft tan carpeting covered the floor.

"No one will disturb you here," Chiron promised. "You will be safe all night. I am just down the hall if you need me, but we can allow you no weapons."

Reyna just nodded, internally thinking that she was not five years old and certainly wouldn't need the centaur in the middle of the night just because she'd had a bad dream.

"May I visit my soldiers?" she asked him. "I would like to see the injured, as well as where they are being kept."

Chiron evaluated her, but nodded. "You may. We'll head down to the arena first, then you may see what is left of the injured."

"Have any died?" Reyna asked as they set off again. Chiron shook his head.

"Not yet."

After that they walked in silence to the arena. The two guards, one the burly girl Reyna had fought earlier today (Jason had called her what . . . Clara? Christine?), and the other a blond-haired, grey-eyed boy that looked as though he could be Annabeth's brother. They were arguing as Reyna and Chiron approached.

"Don't be stupid, Malcolm, we earned that shield. Martin has every right to - Chiron!" the burly girl gasped, straightening up immediately.

"Good evening Clarisse," Chiron said pleasantly. "Miss Arellano has asked to see her soldiers, and I have agreed. If you would allow her twenty minutes inside and then return her to the Big House, I would be most grateful."

"Of course, Chiron," Clarisse (so _that_ was her name) replied. The centaur trotted off and Clarisse squinted at Reyna. "Go on in," she finally said. "Don't try to start anything."

Reyna ignored her and walked through the door.

The first thing that hit her was the smell. Two hundred smelly Romans who had been through battle and desperately needed showers, all cramped into one space, was _not_ something Reyna had ever wanted to smell, and never wanted to smell again. It was rather dim in the arena, though four Greek campers were moving around in pairs, putting working lightbulbs into the lanterns on the walls. The sounds of armor clanking and side conversations all swelled the moment Reyna walked in, and then stopped immediately.

The entire Roman army stared at Reyna, and she at them. Part of her was furious that her campers had to sleep in such a place where they barely had room to roll over, but part of her knew, looking at the ample loaves of bread and seemingly endless pitchers of water (as well as the expertly healed injuries) that they were in fairly good shape for an army that had just surrendered.

She knew they were waiting for her to make a speech, but she honestly had no words to say to any of them. She had failed them; it was entirely her fault that they were in these horrible conditions, that they were weaponless in enemy territory. The guilt overwhelmed her. She never should have become praetor, she was far too arrogant and rash and untalented.

"Praetor!" a shrill voice sounded from Reyna's right. She started, then turned to see a skinny, blond, scarecrow-like teenager making his way over to her.

She cursed under her breath.

"Praetor, what is the meaning of this?" Octavian asked, finally stumbling up to her. His face was nearly red with rage. "We are stuffed in this building, given only bread and water, and stripped of our weapons in enemy territory, all because you lost a duel with Jason Grace, the traitor! What do you have to say for yourself?"

Reyna squared her shoulders, tucking his words away. She couldn't let him tear her down now, in front of her army.

"As I see it, Octavian, you are quite well fed and watered," Reyna said sharply, looking pointedly at the three loaves of bread and jug of water he had clutched in his arms. "And you have been supplied with sleeping items, too, as well as proper and decent medical care. You have nothing to be complaining about."

Octavian's face went from red to purple, and Reyna knew he was on the verge of breaking into another rant, so she sidestepped him and addressed the rest of the campers.

"As you all know, I challenged Jason Grace to a duel today. On that duel I bet the very freedom of Rome, and I lost. I was arrogant, rash, and I have failed you." Reyna had to pause and inhale deeply before she could continue. "It is for this reason that I have decided to step down as praetor once we reach Camp Jupiter."

Whispers broke out all over the crowd, but Reyna silenced them with a look and continued. "I have gained intelligence from the Greeks pertaining to the Prophecy of the Seven that I feel you all should know. The seven of the prophecy journeyed overseas to the Ancient Lands, where two members of the quest fell into the depths of Tartarus."

"Who?" Octavian interrupted, his eyes narrowing. Reyna had no choice but to answer.

"Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase."

Their names hung like an impending storm over the horde of campers. The tension in the room increased tenfold, and absolute silence reigned. Reyna continued after a moment.

"The two of them journeyed through Tartarus and arrived at the Doors of Death just as the rest of the seven arrived. Percy and Annabeth were rescued and returned to Camp Half-Blood. They - they have returned to Camp Half-Blood for treatment and recovery," she said, and whispers broke out amongst the campers again. Reyna waited until they had quieted to continue. "The rest of the seven plan to return to Greece to close the Doors of Death and stop Gaea's army. I have been selected to return with them, along with Nico di Angelo, ambassador of Pluto. We have both accepted, and" - here she had to raise her voice to be heard over the crowd - "we will be leaving in the morning."

"Preposterous!" Octavian shrieked, louder than anyone else. "You cannot journey into the Ancient Lands, praetor. It is against all that we stand for!"

"I am aware of that, Octavian," Reyna said, and the arena fell silent once more. "However, I cannot allow the giants to win, nor can I allow Gaea to triumph. She will not let us live if she succeeds."

"Hmph," Octavian replied. "And who will fill in for you while you are gone? What shall we do about the praetor problems when we return?"

"Gwen will fill in for me," Reyna replied cooly, hoping Gwen would accept the responsibility. "And we will deal with the praetor problems at a later date. With the fate of the world in the balance, surely you must understand that who holds the position of praetor is not on the list of my priorities."

"You don't know what to do, do you?" Octavian sneered quietly at her. "The great Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, at a loss of what to do."

"That is enough," she said, just as quiet as he and twice as venomous. "You will cooperate with the Greeks while I am gone, or, Bellona help me, my last move as praetor will be to execute you."

She whirled around, not waiting for his response, and scanned the arena for Gwen. Reyna finally located her in the back left corner and made her way over, pausing to grasp her soldiers' hands and thank them for their bravery in the battle that day. Most of them didn't seem overly angry with her, thank the gods, simply defeated and very, very tired. Several told her she should remain praetor despite the loss; and that it happened to everyone. Their words meant more to Reyna than she could say, but she knew in her heart that she had already failed them once, and that she couldn't lead them if she had failed them.

Finally, she reached Gwen, Bobby, and Dakota. They were in the far back of the arena, almost as though they didn't want to be seen, but the moment she stood in front of them, they all looked up at her.

"Oh, Reyna," Gwen said, her eyes filling with tears. In an instant, Gwen was on her feet, hugging Reyna tightly. Reyna hugged her back, trying to ignore the emotions that were welling up inside her, threatening to burst. Gwen's hand rubbed soothingly on her back, and the smell of Gwen's strawberry-scented shampoo filled Reyna's nostrils, calming her and reassuring her that everything would be alright.

Gwen pulled away to look Reyna in the eye. "Are you okay? They didn't torture you, did they? Is Jason still being an ass? Is -"

"Gwen!" Bobby said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. You don't want to _overwhelm Reyna_ , right?"

His tone was laced with meaning, and Reyna had to agree with him: this wasn't the place for such discussions. Not with everyone else listening in. Although being praetor had it's perks, there were also downsides, like the entire camp listening in on a conversation with your best friend.

"Oh, right," Gwen was saying. "Sorry, Reyna. You need to get your rest. You've got that quest to go on tomorrow, anyway." She forced a shaky smile, and Reyna could see how scared her friend really was for her. She wished she could make everyone stop listening so that she could really talk to the three of them, but she was praetor, and that meant dealing with every aspect of the fame that came with it.

"Yeah, can't have her falling asleep in Greece," Dakota slurred. He somehow got a flask of Kool-Aid, which made Reyna roll her eyes, even if it did lift her spirits. It was good to know some things never changed. "She might not come back."

He didn't mean it. Reyna knew that. Bobby knew that. Even Gwen knew that. But that didn't stop her from launching herself at Dakota and punching him on the nose.

"Of course she's going to come back," Gwen snapped at a bewildered Dakota. "Don't you ever say otherwise!"

"Gwen!" Reyna said sharply. "As praetor pro tempore, you ought not to be punching centurions!"

"I'm sorry, Reyna," Gwen said formally, though her anger was still clear in her tone. "And you as well . . . Dakota," she finished through clenched teeth.

"I'll take care of him," Bobby said, dragging Dakota off about two feet in an attempt to give the girls some privacy.

"You have to be firm with them," Reyna said, ignoring Gwen's big, sad, puppy dog eyes. "Firm but kind. Please try to keep everyone's spirits up for me. Don't let Octavian push you around. You can't lose your head, or everyone else will, too. Be independent, but listen to the soldiers, okay?" Reyna knew she was talking way too fast, but she couldn't stop herself. "Just please keep everyone under control and don't let anything happen to them, okay? Do your best."

"I will, Reyna," Gwen promised, her green eyes serious. "If you do your best to come back."

"Think positive, right?" Reyna asked, letting herself forget everyone else for the space of exactly one second. Gwen gave her a shaky smile.

"Exactly."

"Hey! You! Roman chick!" Reyna stiffened as Clarisse poked her head in through the door. "Your time's up! I've gotta take you back to the Big House!"

Reyna stood up straight and addressed the Romans. "I must now take my leave. I relinquish my position as praetor to Gwendolyn James until such time as I return to the legion. May you all treat her with the same respect you would me."

It shocked Reyna to see the people in the arena with tears in their eyes. Were the people really that attached to her? She pushed the thought down.

"I urge you all to keep your spirits up. I cannot reveal the exact terms that Chiron has agreed to, but they are not as bad as you fear. Keep hope. _Senatus Populusque Romanus!_ "

" _Senatus Populusque Romanus!_ " the legion chanted back, and even though it was not quite as loud as usual and Octavian was looking more murderous than usual and even though tears were streaming down Gwen's cheeks, Reyna thought that it was her favorite time the legion had ever responded, just because it was so imperfect.

She gave her soldiers one last attempt at a smile and then let Clarisse lead her out of the room.

 **Please feel free to leave a review!**

 **Anyone excited for the OUAT today? I AM!**

 **-AL**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, all! I've seen an increase in views with the last chapter, so I'm assuming that's a good thing? Hoping everyone's liking it? Please take the time to let me know if you do! Reviews are always appreciated, and they're important, too - they make an author feel good about their work, give them confidence, and _definitely_ give incentive to update. Without them, it's almost like no one is reading the story, so why bother updating?**

 **Anyways, thanks as always to my wonderful beta and if I dream, who is eternally making this story better.**

 **All rights of Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus belong to Rick Riordan. I make no money off this work and write only for my own pleasure.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Of Goodbyes & Gorgons**

Naturally, no one slept well that night.

Jason laid in Cabin One, wide awake, his mind desperately trying to process everything that had happened that day. He couldn't believe he'd managed to disarm Reyna, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it, especially due to her resulting surrender of Camp Jupiter. The people at Camp Half-Blood were wonderful people, and he had enjoyed his time with them, but was this truly his home? The shame he'd felt as he watched Reyna surrender the might of Rome had been too powerful for him to say "yes" truthfully, no matter what he'd said to Piper. The discussion of the quest plans also weighed heavily on his mind. The way he had felt standing united with Reyna as they dealt with Hazel reminded him of their days as praetor. The more he remembered of them, the less inclined he was to give them up.

Piper tossed and turned, also contemplating the events of the day. Camp Half-Blood had won the battle against the Romans, but at what cost? Already with the Romans around them, Jason was a different person: harder, more confident, and making decisions that the old Jason would never have agreed to. Was he really the person Piper thought she knew? Or had the Mist had a greater effect on him than she'd thought? If they survived the war and returned, would he stay at Camp Half-Blood or return with Reyna? What would either choice mean for their relationship? Piper had answers to none of her questions, but knew that despite her charmspeaking efforts to maintain the peace, it could very well be Jason's decision that turned the tide of the relations between Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter.

Leo eventually fell asleep around two in the morning in Bunker Nine, more out of sheer physical exhaustion than anything else. He'd been repairing the Argo II with his cabinmates all day, a feat which required too much energy to worry about anything else. He finally crashed next to Nyssa, on one of the many sofas that had been dragged into Bunker Nine.

Hazel hated the Hades cabin at Camp Half-Blood with a passion, claiming it gave her the creeps. She slept fitfully for perhaps four hours, then finally gave up on sleep and went to sit at the very edge of the pier, dangling her feet over the edge. She stared at the water and contemplated the huge quest ahead of her, feeling weary and tired, though sleep continued to evade her. She tried to come to terms with Nico's sacrifice, for she knew Jason and Reyna were right, but couldn't face the thought of life without her newfound brother. She prayed to all the Olympians she could think of that their quest would be a success, but when Frank found her the next morning, she still didn't feel she'd done enough.

Frank, on the other hand, managed to get a full six hours of sleep, more than any of the others, though it was plagued by nightmares of his grandmother, telling him he'd failed and that he'd brought shame upon his family. He woke in a cold sweat, terrified, in the back corner of the Ares cabin, which he hated almost as much as Hazel hated hers. Unfortunately, Frank did not have the option of sneaking out, as he was much too clumsy to leave the cabin without waking one of his volatile half-siblings. Instead he sat, huddled and wide-eyed, in the back corner until Chiron came for him.

Percy and Annabeth spent the night huddled together, each of them lost in their haunting memories of Tartarus. Every so often, one of them would drift into an uneasy sleep, only to be woken minutes later by a nightmare, or the triggering of an injury. Rachel did her best to care for them, occasionally switching with an Apollo camper to get some sleep, but they were all starting to lose hope.

And Reyna paced the entire night, back and forth, wearing down the carpet, trying to figure out how to fulfill all of Chiron's terms for their negotiation. It was looking quite hopeless, especially with Octavian already on her case as it was. Finally, due to sheer exhaustion, she, too, managed to crash around four in the morning, her head spinning so badly she felt sick.

And so it was an exhausted, cranky, worried group of demigods that stood on the deck of the Argo II the next morning. The day had dawned chilly and foggy outside the valley, unusually so for July, though it was perfectly sunny and warm inside the camp.

Leo, loaded up on three cups of coffee, was almost back at the functionality of a normal human being. Somehow, he'd managed to secure everything for departure. The rest of the demigods were leaning against various appendages on the boat, listlessly watching Chiron address the gathered campers.

". . . And we wish them the best of luck on their journey," the centaur concluded, wrapping up a speech Reyna hadn't been listening to. She stood at attention, stock still, acting the part of the confident Roman leader as best she could.

Chiron turned to face the assembled heroes. He could see the exhaustion and defeat already prominent in their faces, no matter how hard they tried to hide it. The weight of the world was on their shoulders, and they knew it.

"You must . . . have faith that you will succeed," he said quietly, so that none of the campers could hear him. "Otherwise you will fail. And remember, all of you, that no matter what happens – I am proud of you."

He met each of their eyes, even Reyna's, surprising her. Why would the old centaur be proud of her? She'd lead her army to their defeat at the hands of the Greeks. She was unfit for her position as praetor, and probably unfit to go on this quest, as well.

"Good luck," the centaur finished, and leaped off the boat. Leo yanked his Nunchuk straight up, and the Argo II began to rise slowly into the air. The campers waved, some of them hollering goodbyes and good wishes, other simply watching, wary, as the ship finally set off across the lake.

There was a silence on the deck once the cheers of the campers faded. Each of the demigods was lost in thought, or simply too tired to say anything. Reyna, realizing this, shoved her own emotions down and cleared her throat. Even if she _was_ an unfit praetor, she couldn't let them all stand around and mope. It wasn't good for members of a legion to become discouraged.

"Alright," she said, her voice unnecessarily loud. "Have any of you eaten this morning?" she asked, looking at each of them. When all but Piper shook their heads, she continued. "You need to go do that. Have a healthy breakfast, try to get dietary fiber and carbohydrates in there. Jason, you know some good foods for that. Take Frank, Hazel, Leo, and Piper down there and get them something to eat, please."

Jason nodded, and gestured to his friends to come. All of them but Leo followed. Leo simply shook his head.

"I have to stay here," he said, his eyes bloodshot and focused intently on the horizon. "I'm the only one who knows how to steer the ship."

"Use the autopilot, Leo," Piper suggested gently, and Reyna was surprised to hear the girl's voice free of charmspeak. Leo, however, shook his head.

"I can't. I have to make sure nothing attacks us this time. Remember Shrimpzilla?" he asked. Reyna had no idea who or what Shrimpzilla was, but she joined Leo and Piper at the helm.

"It's not wise to only have one person know how to steer the ship. Show me the basic controls, then go have some breakfast." When he tried to protest, she cut him off. "That's not a request."

It took a little more persuasion, but finally Leo showed Reyna how to move the ship up and down, side to side, and a few basic defenses. She finally forced his hands from the wheel and let Piper lead him downstairs, leaving her alone on deck, hands firmly gripped on the wheel.

For fifteen minutes, nothing happened, though the fog grew steadily thicker. Reyna checked the compass almost five times a minute, but it still said they were headed east, which was the direction Leo had wanted.

Around the six hundredth time Reyna checked the compass, she heard a flapping noise, like wings. She whipped around, her eyes scanning the fog for incoming threats. Nothing appeared, though the sound continued, keeping her on edge and constantly scanning the horizon.

Reyna had just turned to check the compass again when she heard it – the hissing of snakes. It was faint, but it was getting closer . . . closer . . . closer . . .

 _THUMP_. Something heavy landed on the deck. Reyna whipped out her dagger and turned around.

"Hello there, darling!" the creature said brightly. It had the body of a dumpy old grandmother, but the feet of a rooster, a nest of bright green snakes for hair, glowing red eyes, and bronze boar tusks. Unfortunately, Reyna recognized it - or her, actually.

"Stheno," she hissed at the Gorgon, who pouted.

"Come now, is that any way to welcome an old friend?" she asked. "You ought to work on your manners. Lupa wouldn't be pleased."

Reyna ignored her. "Where's your sister?" she asked, backing into the control board to protect her back. "Where's Euryale?"

"Sister _s_ now, dear," said Stheno brightly. "Medusa finally made it back. We heard a rumor Percy Jackson was on this ship. She has quite the grudge against him, you know. He killed her years ago, and it's taken her ever so long to return from Tartarus."

Reyna's eyes widened in fear. Medusa was with them? That wasn't good. Euryale and Medusa were probably circling the ship right now, looking for a way to attack.

"Where are they?" she asked, raising her golden dagger as if to throw. "Tell me. You should know I never miss."

"You silly little girl," Stheno hissed, her eyes glowing brighter. "Do you really think you can defeat us? Especially when opening your eyes will get you -"

"Turned to stone," another voice finished, one with a smooth Mediterranean accent. "You wouldn't want that now, would you dear?"

Another figure emerged from the fog, and Reyna let out a gasp, then closed her eyes tightly, pressing against the controls. She needed to alert the rest of the group to her plight . . . but how?

"Oh, come now . . . you can't even look at me?" the voice asked, coming closer. Reyna slid along the controls, trying to get away from the monster. She stomped as heavily as she could, praying that someone would come up to investigate the noise.

"You want to open your eyes," the voice hissed, drawing nearer even as Reyna backed away. "Take a look . . ."

The worst part was, Reyna did want to look. It was a flaw of humanity, she supposed, that people wanted to do exactly what it was they shouldn't. That was what made Medusa's threat was so dangerous: the temptation to look at her and see her face overwhelmed anyone who was at her mercy for too long. But Reyna couldn't look this time - not if she wanted to live.

She felt the railing against her back and swore. She had no space left to get away from Medusa, and she knew the monster was still approaching. She thrust her dagger out in front of her, knowing the monster would avoid it.

"Oh, come on, Reyna," hissed Medusa, and Reyna thought she detected a trace of annoyance. "Open those pretty eyes of yours. Let us see Bellona's favored daughter . . ."

A rustling noise came from the stairs. Reyna tensed, but didn't move. She didn't dare open her eyes in case Medusa hadn't turned.

"What was that?" hissed another voice. Reyna assumed it was Euryale. "Was it one of the other demigods?"

"I don't know," replied Stheno.

"Spread out and search," Medusa hissed, her voice farther away from Reyna than it was the last time she spoke. "They won't get far."

Desperate, Reyna opened her eyes the tiniest bit and peered at the deck. She could see Euryale and Stheno sniffing around, searching. Medusa was still turned away from her, and Reyna glanced desperately at the controls to see if there was a mirror or something she could use, and instead saw a huge, hairy spider crawling towards her.

Well, that was fantastic. Probably some sort of beast in disguise - you never knew with Greek and Roman mythology.

"Ah, those eyes are open, I see," Medusa, said, and Reyna shut her eyes just as the first few snakes of Medusa's hair appeared in her vision. "Or maybe not. Not yet, anyways," she said, grabbing Reyna's face. Reyna brought her elbow up and hit Medusa in the chest as hard as she could. The gorgon yelped and let her go, and Reyna turned around just as Stheno screamed.

Reyna opened her eyes and saw Hazel pulling her cavalry sword out of Stheno's back. Euryale screeched and flapped towards Hazel, but Reyna had already thrown her dagger, and the second Gorgon erupted into sand before she could reach Hazel. On the deck, Stheno was already starting to reform, but the sand dissipated quickly in a wind just as Jason jumped down from the mast.

"Nooo!" Medusa screamed. "My sisters . . . you, boy - you shall die fir- arggh!"

"Jason, now!" Frank's voice said, and Jason whirled around and scattered Medusa's essence with a strong wind.

For a moment, the four of them stood on the deck, each tensed and ready for battle. When no other monsters appeared, Reyna quickly scooped up her dagger and turned to face her comrades.

"Thank you for coming," she said. "How did you know they were here?"

"We heard you stomping," Hazel replied. "And then we heard the hissing, when we got to the stairs. So Frank turned into a spider and crawled over to you to try to help you, and Jason snuck up onto the mast so he could blow their essence away. Stheno got too close to where I was hiding, so I stabbed her. Thanks, by the way, for throwing that dagger."

"No problem," Reyna replied. Just then, Leo came bounding up the stairs.

"Is everyone alright? We heard the Gorgons screaming, but -"

"Jason!" Piper gasped, and launched herself into his arms. "I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered into his shirt. Jason patted her back somewhat awkwardly, glancing at Reyna, who ignored both of them, pretending she wasn't annoyed and somewhat hurt.

"Oh, Styx," Leo muttered, racing to the controls. "We're heading too far north."

Reyna winced. "Sorry. I was a little distracted by the gorgons -"

"No, it's fine, it's just gonna add a little time," Leo said, already racing around, getting them back on course. "I can steer for a while if you want to get some rest," he said. Reyna took one look at his face and sighed.

"Leo, I am more than capable of steering -"

"I know, okay?" he said, spinning around, his face hard. "I know. You were doing fine, seriously. I just . . . I just want to be alone, alright? Go . . . go get some sleep or something."

Reyna met his gaze, trying to decide whether or not to listen to him. If she did, it could come off as compliant and obedient, as though she wasn't trying hard enough to help him. If she didn't, it could be seen as brash or arrogant, even. She could see the instability in Leo's eyes, however, and knew that, though he needed to be talked to, she wasn't the right person to do it.

She shifted her gaze to Jason's, and he nodded slightly. Satisfied, she gave a curt nod to Leo, then headed below decks. Hopefully Jason would talk some sense into Leo. They couldn't afford to have any of their crew break down.

Not with the stakes as high as they were.

 **Thanks for reading! Please leave a review and let me know how you're enjoying it!**

 **Have you guys heard of Riordan's new series the Trials of Apollo? What are your thoughts on it?**

 **-AL**


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